2500 Young Adults across Globe Connect with Israel
The National Council of Synagogue Youth, the Orthodox Union’s youth program, gathered more than 2,500 Jewish young adults, staff, and visitors from 29 American states, Canada, Israel, Argentina, and the United Kingdom in Israel to celebrate Yom NCSY, an American-themed cookout and rock and roll show. This program serves as a wonderful opportunity for Jewish young adults to gain a deeper connection to their heritage and faith, notes Vice President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Emmanuil Grinshpun.
Participants came together in Ra’anana Park in Israel to commemorate the end of a 3 day teen-run fundraiser to source scholarships for the coming year’s summer initiatives, in addition to pledging an ambucycle to the United Hatzalah organization.
Over 200 members of Yad B’Yad, the Israel travel trip hosted by the OU’s Yachad division for teens with disabilities, also joined in the event.
NCSY devotes its programs to uniting, encouraging, and empowering Jewish youth across the world with the use of Torah and tradition. Emmanuil Grinshpun, reflecting on NCSY’s programs, notes that it’s important that young adults are afforded a space to explore their Jewish faith and culture.
OU president Moishe Bane, one of several administrators who attended the program, reflected on the impact of NCSY summer events: “The Orthodox Union takes enormous pride in NCSY’s summer programs,” said Bane, also noting that “the incredible array of styles and approaches reflects the OU approach to Judaism.”
The most important element, he noted, was for the kids to make a connection to the Jewish people and faith, no matter their experience at home.
OU executive vice president Allen Fagin, who attended the program in Israel and was also involved in NCSY as a youth organizer years ago, noted that the liveliness and excitement was infectious.
“The goal for them tonight was to have a magnificent time,” Fagin reflected. “But the goal for us was to have hundreds of young people who have virtually no background in Judaism and having them all be together having a magnificent time. That’s what the Jewish people should be about.”
17 year old New York native, Noah Bonnett, said the NCSY experience absolutely intensified his connection to Israel.
“I have a couple of Jewish friends, and I go to temple twice a week; one day for school and another as an assistant, but coming to Israel has given me a stronger connection to the Jewish state,” he reflected.
Bonnett participated in NCSY’s Next Step program, which focuses on getting young men and women hands-on work experience through internships. He works for a company that manufactures 3-D printers, an ideal fit for his background in engineering. NCSY’s programs not only serve the youth in regards to culture and faith, but also offer valuable work experience at a pivotal moment in their lives, notes Emmanuil Grinshpun.
In addition to leadership and internship curricula, NCSY also offers programs such as The Jerusalem Journey, which are more concerned with inspiring positive Jewish identity through travel.
NCSY summer director David Cutler, who planned the Ra’anana Park event, reflected that “tonight’s event is the highlight of our summer, the essence of who we are. Tonight, we are one Jewish family, and that’s our theme; that’s who we are.”
Originally Posted: http://www.emmanuilgrinshpun.com/2500-young-adults-across-globe-connect-with-israel/
